DIY Doctor: The Top Tips On Googling Your Symptoms

DIY doctor.

Before, this term would have been questioned but, with the powers invested in the internet, there’s a little DIY doctor in all of us now. 

A whopping 90 per cent of internet users have turned to the world wide web for health help. We just take it for granted we can look up side effects of medicines prescribed to us and even decide what we might be suffering from ourselves by typing in our own symptoms.

We’ve all been there, sitting at the computer after typing in ‘headache’ and ‘sore tummy’ and the worst of the worst appears on the screen. This diagnosis process does nothing for our health and nothing for our precious nerves…

We know old habits die hard and that’s why we’ve compiled tips on best practice, if you do insist on consulting Dr Google.

PS. Remember, if anything out of the ordinary is worrying you, contact your GP. After all, they are the professionals.

If you are going to google your symptoms, make sure you take our tips into account.

Do A Better Search

Bookmark sites that are affiliated with trusted sources. That way, you know the articles are well-researched and up-to-date.

Avoid doing broad searches too. If you Google ‘headache’, you will get about 30 million results.

Set Up For Subscriptions

Sign up for a Google alert on any topic and an email with links that will inform you if someone is speaking about your choice of topic. You can also pick media sources, like news videos. Be sure to click on ‘only the best results’.

Reach Out To The Professionals

The pros are on the internet too. Follow your healthcare providers if they have Twitter or Facebook. You never know, they could answer a quick question you might have.

Avoid The Secret Agenda

Some sites have a secret agenda. They might want to sell you a certain product or supplement and it could be unclear that they’re a company-backed site. If the text sounds one-sided, it probably is.

Email Us

If you do have any questions that you feel could be answered before you visit a GP, email us at askthedoctor@her.ie . Our doctor, Dr Conor Fitzgerald, will answer your questions in the strictest confidence and they will be published on the site, anonymously, every Friday.

Don’t Forget Your GP

Don’t forget your own GP. A visit to the doctors might be expensive in the current economic climate, but your health is priceless.